An apocalypse just around the corner

I've been a John Birmingham fan for a long time. He's always thoroughly entertaining and with Zero Day Code he's raised the bar again. As the reviews roll in for this one, I'm guessing the word we'll see repeated a lot will be 'plausible'. The ideas and overall plot put forward just feels very real and like something that could happen today, right now.

Nothing that Birmingham lays out in this tale of the world in crisis feels in any way like it couldn't take place exactly as he describes it. There are no zombies, aliens or asteroids throwing the world into chaos, just the very real threat of what could happen when people get desperate and use our own technology against us.

Global threats aside, I also can't recall any novel I've ever read, or movie for that matter, that is so well hooked in to the way we communicate and consume information in the digital age. I'm not just talking Facebook and Twitter here, every mention of a social media platform or cloud based app or tool, no matter how obscure, has had me thinking John must have had big brother style cameras and snooping software watching my house and devices for the past few years.

What holds this story together though is the characters. John has always been great at giving you characters that you feel for and believe in, and with Zero Day Code he's raised the bar there as well. I can't help feeling these guys and girls will be sticking with me for a long time to come, like all great novel characters should. They all feel like real people I know, the good and the bad.

That predominantly comes down to Birmingham's storytelling skills, but Rupert Degas also does a fantastic job at not only narrating this story, but also giving every character, large or small, their own unique voice. Literally. That's quite as feat.

I can't wait for the next book in this series. I want to know what happens next for each and every one of these people and the wider world around them.

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9 people found this helpful

John Birmingham leaves us wanting more

Rupert Degas's performance was brilliant; I thoroughly enjoyed the narrative and character acting throughout, with many a wince & not a few laughs at situations portrayed almost flawlessly in a very listenable voice.

And I can't forget John Birmingham's writing, obviously; a very plausible premise presented in a well fleshed out tale which is only just beginning. Romance, weapons, sex, drama, violence & of course, explosions, are all just parts of the palette John employs to paint the narrative. And A Very Good Dog.

Do yourself a favour, grab John Birmingham's Audible Original Audiobook 'Zero Day Code', today, before the world comes to an end.

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Action Packed and Convincing

John Birmingham has a great Aussie sense of humour and beautifully crafted mix of pessimism and hope it's a great start to what shapes up as a (what i consider) as a plausible scenario. I FUCKING LOVE Rupert Degas his narration and character performances are first class.

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Wow!

Could not stop listening.... Awesome narration of a well written plot. Feels frighteningly close to a true plot. I have to stop myself from starting the next book, so I can tend to my veggie patch & get to drying some food!!

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Enjoyable story.

A little difficult to follow as an Audiobook for myself but a good story. looking forward to book 2.

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great story. too close to curreent reality.

great story. too close to curreent reality. a lot of dead end characters. but a story that is well thought out and too realisric.

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❤ it

Oh how I hope they make this into a movie. It was such a great story and scarily possible. can't wait to read the next instalments

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good yarn , passed the time

very good description of possible demise of USA , some clever hacking, some grubby violence, some clever what if thinking. Thoroughly enjoyable, not always predictable.

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Fantastic.

Bloody awesome . well worth listening to. completed in 2 days. fantastic narrative. my first ever time to listen to a audible book. what a choice.

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I had a blast. Always looked forward to listening.

Fantastic listen. Well-rounded, believable characters with a believable, logical plot line that maintains your interest throughout.

Maybe not a plot for everyone, but it's certainly close to the top of my list of favorite books of all time.

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